The DMZ Exit Interview

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Brian Wood reflects back on 72 issues of this landmark series.

By Jesse Schedeen

With the industry the way it is these days, it's hard enough for creator-owned books to make it to the stands at all, much less grow and thrive for years at a time. But that's just what Brian Wood accomplished with DMZ. This tale of an alternate Manhattan plagued by civil war and abandoned by the government has numbered among Vertigo's best series since it debuted in 2004. The series finally reached its conclusion with issue #72 late last month.

Before he exited the series for good, we wanted to get Wood's thoughts on wrapping up such a major endeavor. Wood reflected on Matty Roth's fate, the other major players in the series, and whether or not books like DMZ still have a place in this market climate.

Note – this interview was conducted prior to the release of issue #72. While there are spoilers for the preceding 71 issues, we kept it spoiler-free for the finale.

IGN Comics: Was it difficult to adjust to DC's new 20-page format this past year? Did it force you to make any significant cuts to the story?

Brian Wood: Not cuts to the story overall, but it was an adjustment for sure. I think #60 was the first issue I wrote after that new rule was put into place, and it was more awkward than you might think, and if I had to lodge any complaint, it would be that I really didn't like having to deal with a format change heading into the final year of a six-year project. BUT, in the end, it was fine and I'm fully adjusted to the new page count. Now that I'm doing two books at Dark Horse, who still publish 22pp comics, I'm dealing with adjusting again.

IGN: Were your plans for the book in these final few story arcs at all impacted by recent political events? Were you influenced by things like the Arab Spring or the winding down of the war in Iraq?

Wood: At some point in time, I had to lock down the story – I think it happened at the end the fourth year, around #50 – and say, okay, here's how its going to wrap up, let's lock it in, no changes, no deviations. So I guess at that point any external influences were rejected. Which was fine. It's slightly bittersweet, because in so many ways I see a lot to talk about with DMZ and Occupy, but that's just the way it goes. I wanted a high amount of clarity and focus as I ended the series. Ending a six year series properly is a lot more pressure than I care to have, to be honest!

IGN: Matty relived many of the key events of the series during the trail in issue #71. What was it like for you to relive those events as you scripted that issue?

Wood: It was remarkable how much I had forgotten! I kept having to refer to the trades to make sure my memory was correct. DMZ is something like 1500 pages, and its pretty densely written, in retrospect. But it was fun, it was nice to go back and sort of re-inhabit my brain in the past. But, like any creative person, most of what I see when I look at past work is the flaws.

IGN: Matty certainly felt he deserved to be held accountable for what transpired in the DMZ. Do you feel his life sentence was what the character deserved in the end?

Wood: Absolutely. I just had this conversation with someone who was genuinely surprised that Matty didn't emerge victorious in the end, and I had to remind him just what Matty was guilty of. Sure, he got scapegoated on a few things, but he trafficked in a stolen nuclear bomb and killed people. And he admitted he deserved to be punished. We'll see a bit of this, in his own words, in #72 so I don't want to say too much more. But if anyone knows he's guilty, it's Matty himself. It's why he refused amnesty way back in #54. This was coming a mile off.

IGN: You've referred to Zee as "the soul of the city." Given how little she she seems to have been corrupted or changed over the course of the book compared to other characters, is that a commentary on the enduring nature of NYC?

Wood: Exactly right, as well as its ability to accept all comers.

IGN: Few characters had an impact on Matty like Parco Delgado. How would you say Matty changed after encountering this charismatic figure, and how does he view Parco in hindsight?

Wood: Parco is probably more important to Matty's story than anyone else, and I think I have to include Zee in that. He is the cause of his downfall, and to one degree or another informs Matty's actions from #29 onwards. Since his arrival in the DMZ, Matty's been an outsider, no matter what he does, he is never fully accepted, not even by Zee. And all Matty wants is to be on the inside, to matter, to have people believe in him. And lo, here comes this massively charming and powerful dude who gives Matty everything he so desperately needs. And Matty follows him, and is loyal to him, all the way to hell and back and right up to the end of the story.

IGN: The reaction to Wilson's death factored heavily into this last arc. What did that character bring to the series? Was it difficult for you to write him out of the picture?

Wood: Wilson is beloved by all. When I created him, I really only envisioned this kooky neighbor of Matty's that would serve as a sympathetic ear, someone for Matty to confide in. But he was so much fun to write that I crafted this whole new identity for him and gave him a bit role in the series. Based on what I hear, he was the most loved character in the book. Wish I could do a Wilson spin-off series (I really can't).

IGN: The political future of the DMZ is very much in doubt as of issue #71. Is that something you intend to leave an open question as the series wraps? Would you ever feel tempted to revisit this world in a few years and see how matters have progressed?

Wood: #72 takes care of that, but I think in #71 it's clear that the future is very much one of peace, they are just cleaning up the chaos. The war is done, and this trial is just one of the early steps down the path to full normalcy. The trial, in part, resolves the question of the nuke. Someone had to take the fall. A nuclear attack on American soil, carried out by Americans, is such a huge thing, and needed a "lone wolf" type to explain it away in a way that people can understand and accept. Even if it's a lie.

IGN: Do you have any plans to reunite with Riccardo Burchielli on a new project in the near future?

Wood: No plans. I'm sure he could use a break from my crazy scripts! That guy deserves all the credit in the world for drawing something as challenging and detailed-oriented as a worn torn New York City for 1500 pages.

IGN: You're taking on an unusual amount of licensed work right now with books like Conan and the Wolverine mini-series. After focusing so much on your own characters these past years, were you in need of a change of pace or a palate cleanser?

Wood: In part it's that, yeah. It's also the worsening of the comic book market, to the point that it's impossible to sustain a career like mine, doing only creator-owned work. Well, I shouldn't say it's impossible. Just impossible for me. Looking at my 2012 as a whole, I'm still doing more than 50% creator owned, which is the important thing.

IGN: One of the more interesting projects you tackled recently was the Lord of the Rings: War in the North tie-in comic. Would you be interested in returning to that franchise if it makes a more lasting jump into comics?

Wood: Who wouldn't? But it's my understanding that it'll never happen. That digital comic I did was a peculiarity of marketing – a one-off giveaway that was based on the game, not based on the actual novels.

IGN: With DC trimming down the Vertigo imprint and Marvel focusing more and more on its core properties, do you think there's less opportunity for books like DMZ at the major publishers these days? Is a book like DMZ a harder sell now than it was seven years ago?

Wood: I think, now, DMZ would still be approved and launch as a series. Maybe it would be a limited series, not an ongoing, and it certainly would not last 72 issues. DMZ hit at this perfect time, where it was very topical, trade sales were very healthy across the board, and we had more direct market retailers than we do now. It's just a bad time right now. I feel lucky, and very grateful to have the success I have.